Can Dogs Drink Beer? The Plain Answer, Green Beer Included

If you are asking can dogs drink beer, the answer is no, and that includes the green beer on St. Patrick's Day. The American Kennel Club's chief veterinarian, Dr. Jerry Klein, writes: "Dogs should never drink beer brewed for humans."

That is the whole verdict, and the color of the glass does not change it. The rest of this page covers what green beer is, what a party leaves within reach of a dog, and what to do if a dog got into a drink. We make freeze-dried and air-dried treats in Malvern, Pennsylvania, so the last section is about what to hand over instead.

Can dogs drink beer on St. Patrick's Day

Green beer is ordinary beer with food coloring stirred in. A bartender pours a light lager, since a dark one would not turn green, adds a few drops of dye and hands it across. Nothing else about the drink changes. It is the same beer with the same alcohol in it, so the answer for a dog is the same as it is for any other pint.

The same goes for a beer that is only a little bit green, or a pitcher someone dyed at home for the party. Color is the only thing that was added.

The glass at dog height

Parties do not put drinks where a dog cannot reach them. A pint sits on a coffee table or on the arm of a couch. A half-finished cup gets set on the floor by a chair, and the last warm third of every glass gets left behind at the end of the night. All of that is nose height for a dog.

The American Kennel Club also writes: "Don't leave your beer unattended if your dog is around, and when you have company, you might want to keep your dog crated or in another room." That is plain advice. Close a door before the first guest arrives, and do a lap of the room at the end of the night for cups.

Hops and the homebrew bench

Hops are the green, cone-shaped flowers that give beer its bitter edge. Homebrewers buy them as pellets or as whole cones, and the leftovers end up in a bag or a bucket near the brew kettle. If you brew at home, that bench is worth a second look with a dog in the house.

The ASPCA keeps a plant entry for hops, and it is the one to read if you brew. We are only pointing to it.

Sweet drinks and ciders

Beer is not the only glass on a party table. Hard cider, spiked lemonade and sweet punch sit right beside it, and they smell like fruit. The American Kennel Club also writes: "Dogs may tend to be more attracted to fruit-based drinks, cocktails, punches, ciders, seltzers, and foods with alcohol as a key ingredient."

Keep the sweet cup up on a counter. Do not set it down on the tile.

If a dog got into a drink

Spills and stolen sips happen at even the best-run party. The American Kennel Club writes: "If your dog accidentally laps some beer out of your mug, call your veterinarian." It adds: "Be sure to note how much beer your dog consumed."

So make the call first. Then tell whoever answers what the drink was, roughly how much is gone and about when it happened. Keep the glass or the bottle where you can read the label to them.

What about dog beer

Products sold under the name dog beer exist. We do not make one, we name no brand and we have no facts about how any of them are made, so the label on whatever you pick up is the place to start. A bowl of fresh water on the floor beside the party is the drink we put out for a dog.

What to hand over instead

A party is the one time a dog wants to be part of whatever the people are doing, and a pocket with something plain in it solves that. We make a few things that fit the pocket.

The Freeze-Dried Cheddar Cheese Dog Treats are freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and cheddar cheese is the only ingredient. Freeze-drying makes the cheese crunchy and non-greasy rather than soft, and no refrigeration is needed once it is dried, so it travels clean in a treat pouch or a car. The pieces are small, a 4 of 5 for crunch on our scorecard, and the bag is one 8 ounce size. It contains dairy, so it is not suited to dogs with dairy sensitivities. The label says to feed it as a treat or reward, that it is not a complete diet, and to supervise while snacking. Reseal the bag after opening and store it cool and dry.

The Freeze-Dried Beef Heart Dog Treats are the other option, with beef heart as the only ingredient. The texture is firm and snaps into small pieces, milder than liver. They come in 1.5 ounce, 3 ounce and 6 ounce bags, and the label asks for supervision while feeding.

For the day itself, Pot of Gold Dog Treat Coins come in two versions, both sliced into coin shapes that break clean for a training pocket. The chicken coins are boneless chicken breast sliced into rounds and air-dried, one ingredient. The gold coins are plain Greek yogurt tinted with a pinch of turmeric and freeze-dried, so they contain dairy and are not single ingredient. They are made in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Beer questions

Is green beer different from regular beer?

Only in color. Food coloring is added to ordinary beer, so the answer stays the same as it is for a plain pint.

What if my dog licked a little beer off the floor?

That is the same situation as the mug line in the section above. Make the call, and have the drink, the amount and the time ready for whoever picks up.

What is dog beer?

It is a product category that exists, and we do not make anything in it. We have no facts about how any of them are made, so read the label on whatever you are holding.

Can a dog have a sip of cider or a seltzer?

Skip it. The American Kennel Club line about fruit-based drinks sits in the sweet drinks section above, and the answer there is the same as it is for beer.

Where should a guest put a drink?

Up on a counter or a shelf rather than on the floor, and clear the cups before the night winds down. Closing the dog in another room is the other half, and the section on the glass at dog height covers it.

What can I hand a dog at a party instead?

Plain treats in your pocket. Cheddar bites or beef heart are what we make for it, and the section above has what the label says on each.